After 60

OK, it's that time of the season again.  Time to check in on stats, stats, stats!!! Here are the big indicators we're keeping track of:

 

Click below the fold to read the rest.

As you can see from the above chart, things are really starting to fall off for OBZs.  The defensive numbers are the most notable.  Not only has the team fallen behind the defensive numbers of 08 Witt Ball, it has made its way past last year's putrid effort.  There has been some offensive improvement but not nearly enough to make up for what is going on in the defensive half court.

eFG is still on its way up but not yet above last year's level.  OReb% is slowly going down but so is the opponents' numbers in that category.  The free throw gap hasn't changed enough to write home about it.  All in all, this thing is coming off the rails because of defense.

Here are the team's shooting stats after 40:

 

Offense					Defense
Shot	Att.	eFG%	Ast	Pts		Att.	eFG%	Ast	Pts
Jump	62%	.411	63%	42.5		68%	.456	59%	49.3
Close	33%	.541	47%	29.8		26%	.565	49%	23.7
Dunk	3%	.921	67%	4.3		5%	.942	78%	6.8
Tips	2%	.548	0%	2.1		2%	.620	0%	1.6
All	100%	.471	55%	78.8		100%	.509	56%	81.5

Here they are after 60:

Shooting Details

	Offense					Defense
Shot	Att.	eFG%	Ast	Pts		Att.	eFG%	Ast	Pts
Jump	62%	.425	63%	44.2		68%	.465	61%	50.6
Close	32%	.539	47%	29.1		26%	.572	49%	24.0
Dunk	3%	.931	68%	5.0		5%	.954	78%	7.1
Tips	2%	.538	0%	1.9		1%	.549	0%	1.3
All	100%	.481	56%	80.3		100%	.516	58%	83.0

The big thing to take note of here is that the Wolves have seen the biggest change in jump shots--both their own and their opponents.  There is a 3 point net swing since the 40 game mark on jump shots.

Here is the team's positional net production after 40:

Position	FGA	eFG%	FTA	iFG	Reb	Ast	T/O	Blk	PF	Pts	PER*
PG	-1.7	-.070	-1.0	0%	-1.7	-0.3	-0.2	-0.1	-2.0	-4.8	-6.9
SG	1.0	-.001	0.0	5%	1.1	-0.4	0.0	-0.2	-0.3	1.3	+0.8
SF	-3.2	-.037	-2.7	-2%	0.3	-0.3	-0.0	0.1	-0.8	-6.4	-5.6
PF	-0.3	-.044	0.5	19%	0.4	0.6	-0.6	-0.9	0.3	-1.6	-2.1
C	7.6	-.046	2.0	-2%	1.0	-0.6	0.2	-1.2	1.4	7.6	+3.6

After 60:

Net Production by Position

Position	FGA	eFG%	FTA	iFG	Reb	Ast	T/O	Blk	PF	Pts	PER*
PG	-0.7	-.067	-1.2	1%	-2.0	-0.9	-0.1	0.0	-1.4	-4.0	-6.9
SG	0.6	-.026	-0.1	4%	0.1	-0.7	-0.1	-0.2	-0.2	-0.4	-2.0
SF	-3.4	+.007	-2.3	1%	0.8	0.4	-0.6	0.0	-0.8	-5.1	-3.6
PF	-0.4	-.035	0.0	12%	-0.1	0.3	-0.5	-0.7	-0.3	-1.6	-2.6
C	6.9	-.059	1.8	2%	2.4	-0.6	0.3	-1.3	1.2	6.6	+3.4

NBA position rankings

After 40:

08-09	Ranks (Net)						PER Difference
POS	Pts	FG%	Reb	Ast	T/O	FTA	PER	Opp	Rank
PG	28	26	30	16	18	21	12.7	19.6	30
SG	12	17	5	18	15	14	16.2	15.4	11
SF	29	25	10	17	16	28	11.5	17.1	29
PF	21	23	12	7	29	12	16.6	18.7	24
C	2	25	8	21	13	6	21.5	17.9	8

After 60:

Minnesota Timberwolves

08-09	Ranks (Net)						PER Difference
POS	Pts	FG%	Reb	Ast	T/O	FTA	PER	Opp	Rank
PG	28	26	30	21	17	25	11.9	18.8	29
SG	17	21	13	20	17	14	15.0	17.0	21
SF	29	13	7	10	24	28	13.1	16.8	28
PF	22	25	15	10	28	15	16.5	19.1	26
C	2	27	4	21	10	7	22.7	19.3	6

What you should take home from these comparisons is that the Foye Effect from games 20-40 is over.  You can also see that Ryan Gomes has stepped up his play and Kevin Love has remained consistent.

Top 5-man floor units After 40:

Top Five-Man Floor Units

#	Unit	Min	Off	Def	+/-	W	L	Win%
1	Telfair-Foye-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	166	1.16	1.06	+33	7	8	46.6
2	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	126	1.04	1.12	-10	6	8	42.8
3	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Jefferson-Collins	102	0.95	1.02	-13	3	4	42.8
4	Ollie-Foye-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	83	1.10	1.11	+0	4	5	44.4
5	Foye-Miller-Brewer-Gomes-Jefferson	74	1.00	1.05	-9	3	5	37.5
6	Foye-McCants-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	59	0.96	1.14	-22	2	7	22.2
7	Telfair-Miller-Brewer-Love-Jefferson	48	1.30	1.19	+8	4	0	100
8	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Love-Jefferson	48	0.90	1.28	-36	4	9	30.7
9	Ollie-Foye-Gomes-Love-Jefferson	46	1.26	1.12	+15	5	2	71.4
10	Telfair-Foye-Gomes-Love-Jefferson	38	0.92	1.01	-2	6	7	46.1

After 60:

Top Five-Man Floor Units

#	Unit	Min	Off	Def	+/-	W	L	Win%
1	Telfair-Foye-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	262	1.15	1.12	+22	10	12	45.4
2	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	137	1.04	1.11	-6	7	8	46.6
3	Telfair-Foye-Miller-Gomes-Love	134	1.23	1.25	+8	8	4	66.6
4	Telfair-Foye-Gomes-Love-Jefferson	109	1.08	1.07	+11	11	10	52.3
5	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Jefferson-Collins	102	0.95	1.02	-13	3	4	42.8
6	Ollie-Foye-Gomes-Smith-Jefferson	83	1.10	1.11	+0	4	5	44.4
7	Telfair-Foye-Miller-Gomes-Jefferson	77	1.25	1.06	+25	9	5	64.2
8	Foye-Miller-Brewer-Gomes-Jefferson	74	1.00	1.05	-9	3	5	37.5
9	Foye-Miller-Gomes-Love-Jefferson	71	0.88	1.30	-58	6	13	31.5
10	Foye-Carney-Miller-Cardinal-Love	69	1.16	1.08	+12	9	5	64.2

Team Four Factors

After 40:

 

Team Four Factors
	PACE		OFFENSE						DEFENSE
TYPE	POSS		EFF	eFG	TO	OREB%	FT/FG		EFF	eFG	TO	OREB%	FT/FG
STAT	91.9		105.5	47.3	15.3	29.0	22.3		109.4	50.7	14.4	25.6	25.2
RANK	12		22.5	28	15	6	21		24	23	26	10	21

After 60

Team Four Factors
	PACE		OFFENSE						DEFENSE
TYPE	POSS		EFF	eFG	TO	OREB%	FT/FG		EFF	eFG	TO	OREB%	FT/FG
STAT	92.5		106.2	47.9	15.6	28.5	22.7		111.2	51.6	14.0	25.0	25.9
RANK	11		23	27	18	8	22		26	27	27	6	24

Here are the squad's player stats after 40:

After 60:

 

All in all, Love, Miller, and Gomes are the only guys on this squad who have maintained an upward trajectory over the last 20 games.  Foye has really leveled out, especially since the loss of Big Al.  The rest of the roster is playing pretty much as expected.

There are a few new things that I want to keep track of from here on out.  First, Kevin Pelton has some fantastic new information up over at Basketball Prospectus.  Here is the information pulled from the team page:

 

Next year we'll keep track of BP's excellent player card stats as well.

Well that about does it for the 60 game wrap up.  We'll post another one of these at the end of the year with some charts detailing the ups and downs of individual players and the team.  Right now it looks like the Wolves are reverting to last year's version of themselves.  It is across the board ugly and getting worse.  Does anything jump out at you?

Until later.

PS: As always we thank the following sites for their excellent stat work:

• 82Games
• Knickerblogger
• Yahoo Sports
• Basketball Value
• Basketball Prospectus